Underfist: Halloween Bash
Encyclopedia
Underfist is a spin-off special of The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
. It aired on October 12, 2008. It tied as the number 1 program for the week among all broadcast and basic cable networks with boys 6-11, and earned between 19% and 76% growth across all kid demos. The special was going to be the plot for a new series spin-off of Billy and Mandy, but the contract of Maxwell Atoms in Cartoon Network expired and the special was the finale of Grim Adventures.
night (one year after the series finale), Irwin, Billy, Mandy and Grim are trick-or-treating. Billy, Mandy and Grim decide to go home after having no success with Dracula (Irwin's Grandfather). Irwin realizes that his life is passing him by. Mindy (secretly turned into a witch by an evil marshmallow bunny named Bun Bun) fools Irwin into opening an Underworld portal releasing an army of evil candy warriors and Bun Bun, where they start terrorizing the neighborhood. Irwin gets attacked and contacts Hoss Delgado, who helps him with the battle. The warriors take down Hoss with soda-candy guns, which if Hoss gets sticky, he gets a rash. When they kill Skarr's winning purple pansies, he comes out of his garage with a robot (spoof of Aliens
), joining the battle. Soon it's an all out war, with no mercy, no rules, no nothing. Mindy again tricks Irwin, but this time, pretending she is being kidnapped by Bun Bun, taking her into the Underworld.
When the candy level gets to high, Hoss clicks his car unlock system, which a giant saw car (spoof of the Gotengo
from Godzilla: Final Wars
) comes drills out of the ground. They escape and start to plot their attack to the Underworld.
Soon they find a portal to the Underworld in the rain, which Hoss and Irwin jump in first (because he does not trust monsters and says to Skarr that he doesn't trust one eyed weirdos) , but the portal turns off, because it is controlled by a diamond, which Mindy (in her witch form) smashes. The candy warriors try to sacrifice Hoss, by pushing him into hot coco, but they want to leave Irwin alive. This is because he has the powers of a mummy, which they need to keep the balance of the Underworld in place, and to become stronger warriors to eat the trick-or-treaters.
Mindy creates a potion which turns all the warriors into candy monsters, and all she needs now is Irwin's powers to create the candy warriors ultimate monster form. But Irwin refuses.
Soon Jeff The Spider, Fred Fredburger, and Skarr find out a way how to get to the Underworld by Using Hoss's car to drill into the Underworld, and they rescue Irwin and Hoss.
But the army of candy haven't given up yet. They head to the city and attack. Irwin and Hoss get into an argument, leading into a battle, turning on each other. While the battle is going on, the monsters suck up Irwin's power (but not all of it) and transform into one giant candy monster. Jeff and Fred try to escape, but they fail. Soon Hoss and Irwin see the monster and start to fight it, beating it. Irwin discovers that Hoss is scared of monsters, because he was haunted as a kid.
Soon Bun Bun admits his history. He cut off Fred's tusks, he made Billy scared of spiders, he haunted Hoss's childhood, and turned Mindy into a witch. Skarr joins Bun Bun's team (but not really) and kicks Bun Bun into hot coco, melting the marshmallow bunny.
Soon Underfist gets an award for saving Halloween that year, but they hear something outside and investigate. It's soon revealed that there is an army of squid warriors who have found their way to the surface world that the team made while trying to escape from the Underworld.
started production on Underfist a little bit after he finished with The Grim Adventures. The special was finished several months before it aired, but as it was a Halloween special it was delayed until October. Cartoon Network did not pay for a permanent crew for a single film, so much of the work was done freelance or by Atoms himself. The film also used a different overseas animation crew.
. Jacob Paschal of Toon Zone gave the film a negative review, saying "Overall, Underfist is your typical annual Halloween film fluff designed to fill the airwaves and get younger folk hyped on something other than candy. Maybe you'll find that enough".
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy often shortened as Billy and Mandy is an American animated television series that aired on Cartoon Network. It is also the spin-off of Grim & Evil. Having originally aired as part of Grim & Evil The show began in 2001, And went on to become one of Cartoon...
. It aired on October 12, 2008. It tied as the number 1 program for the week among all broadcast and basic cable networks with boys 6-11, and earned between 19% and 76% growth across all kid demos. The special was going to be the plot for a new series spin-off of Billy and Mandy, but the contract of Maxwell Atoms in Cartoon Network expired and the special was the finale of Grim Adventures.
Plot
On HalloweenHalloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
night (one year after the series finale), Irwin, Billy, Mandy and Grim are trick-or-treating. Billy, Mandy and Grim decide to go home after having no success with Dracula (Irwin's Grandfather). Irwin realizes that his life is passing him by. Mindy (secretly turned into a witch by an evil marshmallow bunny named Bun Bun) fools Irwin into opening an Underworld portal releasing an army of evil candy warriors and Bun Bun, where they start terrorizing the neighborhood. Irwin gets attacked and contacts Hoss Delgado, who helps him with the battle. The warriors take down Hoss with soda-candy guns, which if Hoss gets sticky, he gets a rash. When they kill Skarr's winning purple pansies, he comes out of his garage with a robot (spoof of Aliens
Aliens (film)
Aliens is a 1986 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and starring Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, William Hope, and Bill Paxton...
), joining the battle. Soon it's an all out war, with no mercy, no rules, no nothing. Mindy again tricks Irwin, but this time, pretending she is being kidnapped by Bun Bun, taking her into the Underworld.
When the candy level gets to high, Hoss clicks his car unlock system, which a giant saw car (spoof of the Gotengo
Gotengo
The , also known in the West as Atragon, is a submarine battleship that has appeared in several tokusatsu films of Toho Company, Ltd., beginning with Atragon in 1963. It was first conceived by author Shunrō Oshikawa in his 1899 novel Kaitei Gunkan , of which Atragon was an adaptation produced by...
from Godzilla: Final Wars
Godzilla: Final Wars
is a 2004 Japanese science fiction-kaiju film directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, written by Wataru Mimura and Isao Kiriyama and produced by Shogo Tomiyama. It is the twenty-eighth film in the Godzilla film series, and the sixth in terms of the series' Millennium era...
) comes drills out of the ground. They escape and start to plot their attack to the Underworld.
Soon they find a portal to the Underworld in the rain, which Hoss and Irwin jump in first (because he does not trust monsters and says to Skarr that he doesn't trust one eyed weirdos) , but the portal turns off, because it is controlled by a diamond, which Mindy (in her witch form) smashes. The candy warriors try to sacrifice Hoss, by pushing him into hot coco, but they want to leave Irwin alive. This is because he has the powers of a mummy, which they need to keep the balance of the Underworld in place, and to become stronger warriors to eat the trick-or-treaters.
Mindy creates a potion which turns all the warriors into candy monsters, and all she needs now is Irwin's powers to create the candy warriors ultimate monster form. But Irwin refuses.
Soon Jeff The Spider, Fred Fredburger, and Skarr find out a way how to get to the Underworld by Using Hoss's car to drill into the Underworld, and they rescue Irwin and Hoss.
But the army of candy haven't given up yet. They head to the city and attack. Irwin and Hoss get into an argument, leading into a battle, turning on each other. While the battle is going on, the monsters suck up Irwin's power (but not all of it) and transform into one giant candy monster. Jeff and Fred try to escape, but they fail. Soon Hoss and Irwin see the monster and start to fight it, beating it. Irwin discovers that Hoss is scared of monsters, because he was haunted as a kid.
Soon Bun Bun admits his history. He cut off Fred's tusks, he made Billy scared of spiders, he haunted Hoss's childhood, and turned Mindy into a witch. Skarr joins Bun Bun's team (but not really) and kicks Bun Bun into hot coco, melting the marshmallow bunny.
Soon Underfist gets an award for saving Halloween that year, but they hear something outside and investigate. It's soon revealed that there is an army of squid warriors who have found their way to the surface world that the team made while trying to escape from the Underworld.
Characters
- The Underfist team: Irwin, Hoss Delgado, General Skarr, Jeff the Spider, and Fred Fredburger.
- Villains: Mindy and Bun-Bun
- Supporting characters: Billy, Mandy, Grim, and Dracula.
- Cameo Characters: Chowder and Courage the Cowardly Dog
Production
Maxwell AtomsMaxwell Atoms
Maxwell Atoms is an American animator, writer and voice actor. He is the creator of Cartoon Network's animated television series The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Evil Con Carne, and has developed a Billy & Mandy spin-off Halloween special called Underfist...
started production on Underfist a little bit after he finished with The Grim Adventures. The special was finished several months before it aired, but as it was a Halloween special it was delayed until October. Cartoon Network did not pay for a permanent crew for a single film, so much of the work was done freelance or by Atoms himself. The film also used a different overseas animation crew.
Reception
Underfist tied for first in ratings for the week it was aired and has been nominated for Best Animated Television Production for Children in the 36th Annie Awards36th Annie Awards
The 36th Annual Annie Awards, honoring the best in animation for 2008, were held on January 30, 2009 at Royce Hall in Los Angeles, California. Below is a list of announced nominees...
. Jacob Paschal of Toon Zone gave the film a negative review, saying "Overall, Underfist is your typical annual Halloween film fluff designed to fill the airwaves and get younger folk hyped on something other than candy. Maybe you'll find that enough".